The Illinois State University Symphonic Band wrapped up the semester last week, sharing an evening with the University Band for their spring concert. Joining the band to play Frank Ticheli’s “Joy Revisited” were five adults with disabilities who were part of a project called United Sound.
United Sound is a nationwide organization that aims to reduce barriers to music participation for people with disabilities. Chapter Co-President Stephanie Burns spearheaded the first collegiate United Sound program in Illinois.
“I did it in high school and we were the first chapter ever in Illinois,” Burns said. “That’s what inspired me to bring it over.”
ISU Assistant Director of Bands TJ Mack had no hesitation supporting Burns in seating a new United Sound chapter within the Symphonic Band, which Mack directs.
“It was a homerun idea,” he said. “We have a lot of amazing undergrads who want to mentor, and want to teach music and give this opportunity to people who don’t normally have access to it. To find students that have that passion was a very easy green light.”
Burns said the most challenging part of starting United Sound was finding mentors and new musicians. She is involved in a literacy program on campus called Redbird Readers, which is how she recruited Payten Presley to join.
“When we heard about the opportunity to be a part of a band and get music lessons, we knew we wanted to be all in,” said Deb Presley, Payten’s mother. “Being a part of a band has been an important goal of Payten’s for many years.”
Payten Presley has always wanted to play percussion—especially the bells.
“Because with bells, it sounds great,” he said in a lobby interview before the band concert began.
Presley attended weekly rehearsals with the ISU Symphonic Band and, with fellow United Sound player Steven Weiner, played his first concert in front of an audience April 26. Leading up to the concert Presley said the full band rehearsal was “the best day of his life.”
“To see him on stage was amazing, because I knew how much it meant to him,” said Deb Presley. “Being able to forge those friendships and those connections with his peers here at the university is a huge blessing for him; not only does he learn from them but, I think, in the large scheme of things they learn from individuals with disabilities.”
Weiner started playing drums in fifth grade. In addition to playing mallets with United Sound, he plays drums in ISU's Big Red Marching Machine.
“I’m on the snare line and I love it,” he said. “So, I’ve got lots of experience and have had a blast with United Sound so far this year.”
Weiner said his favorite thing about the program is “building connections” and "meeting new people and making relationships that can last for a lifetime.”
Jessica Benjamin, a clarinetist and student at ISU, jumped at the chance to be Presley and Weiner’s mentor.
“At the forefront of my mind right now is how proud I am of all of these musicians,” Benjamin said. “As a non-percussionist, I was definitely a little bit scared going into it at first. I think I’m learning from all of this that music truly is a universal language that we all get.”
“United Sound’s tagline is ‘relationships that resonate,’ which I think is just a beautiful way to say that,” said Mack. “Both the music in itself but also the community that gets built is really special. To see those two come together is awesome to be a part of.”
United Sound is recruiting adults with disabilities for the program’s next cycle this fall. To participate, email to Assistant Director of Bands TJ Mack at tjmack1@ilstu.edu.
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